


The Memories We Shared

by ravenmist4



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: A little bit of angst, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Hateno Village, Post-Calamity Ganon, Sign Language, Silent Link, mostly canon, reworked the canon ending a lil bit, zelink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2020-10-16 23:08:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20610893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravenmist4/pseuds/ravenmist4
Summary: only two weeks since they had defeated ganon, yet they found themselves already falling into a domestic routine in his hateno home.zelda thought it was finally time to ask link a long-awaited question.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i felt like it was a bit unrealistic for zelda to immediately jump onto link about his memory when they had JUST defeated ganon,,, so i wrote this

once the power of the goddess hylia had left zelda, she felt more mortal than ever. 

during the final moments of battle, it seemed as if an innate sense that had been borne deep within her had finally come to fruition. the magic and sheer, divine power that had flowed within her veins left as quickly as it arrived— the day was saved, and the dust was settling. there was no more need for such abilities once they had served their true purpose. she had officially reverted back into her original, physical state; a once-again powerless descendant of the goddess.

however, nothing else remained the same.

the world around her was nearly unrecognizable, and while she may have dressed the part of the girl she was so long ago, she felt nothing like the role. 

while there was no physical mark, every single decade that had passed left an imprint on her. she felt,,, wizened, almost. the years of struggling against ganon, waiting for her chosen hero to awaken from his stasis, gave her more than enough time to mourn her fallen kingdom and reflect on the life she had lived up until then. 

despite the century of solitude, she had never given up hope. she knew that link would come to her aid, and together they’d defeat ganon once and for all. she’d have her old friend at her side and together they’d rebuild her kingdom together.

in the end, she had been right.

...mostly.

her companion through time had suffered just as many, if not more, changes as she. zelda had been well aware of what the possible side effects were when she had put link into his life-saving slumber, yet, she had paid no heed to them. perhaps it was selfishness spurring her on, but as she faced the harrowing possibility of losing link, the only course of action that occurred to her in the moment was saving him— no matter the cost. she didn’t take the time to think of the consequences when his life was hanging on a thread. 

despite it all, she had a small, illogical belief that he’d remember her, and their friendship. after all, who would face evil’s incarnate to save a stranger? surely he must’ve had a general idea of what they’ve been through together.

she kept her unrealistic hopes to herself as they traveled through central hyrule to hateno village. she, mostly patiently, waited until they both had rested thoroughly to even breach the topic. only two weeks since they had defeated ganon, yet they found themselves already falling into a domestic routine in his hateno home. 

one afternoon, zelda had encouraged him to sit with her in the yard. summer was coming to a close, and zelda was all too happy to watch the many trees surrounding them slowly change their hue as the days went on. it was peaceful. while the heat of the summer still had a lingering presence, the combination of cool, incoming autumn breeze and the convenient shade of his large apple tree made it barely apparent. 

zelda sat there, her knees to her chest as she peacefully listened to the harmony of nature around her. further down into town, she could almost hear the giggles of hateno’s young children. that, alongside the distant wildlife and the nearby river— it was all so lovely. even the grass and soil felt downy soft beneath her feet. everything was perfect. if she didn’t have a duty to her kingdom, she would’ve loved living out the rest of her days here, in another lifetime. 

she had never felt so relaxed, or happy, in all of her years. even if they had both lost so much due to the calamity, they still had eachother, right?

“...link?” 

her tone was soft, tentative— rupturing the calm atmosphere with her own voice felt almost like a sin. however, this was important; she had to know. 

“may i ask,,,

do you truly remember me?” 


	2. Chapter 2

the seconds passed quickly, each more painful than the last. he hadn’t moved his hands to sign his reply, simply staring at her with a woeful expression before breaking their eye contact to look below. 

the realization hit her hard, and the force of the impact left her breathless. her hopes had been too unrealistic, after all. his silence and guilty expression spoke volumes. for a moment, she felt the undeniable urge to flee. she hadn’t brought her friend back from the dead after all— she had only kept the hero’s vessel alive for when the time would come for him to fulfill his duty. 

she peeled her eyes off of him as he shook his head, staring down at her boots and hoping he hadn’t noticed the tears of grief beginning to well and spring forth.

the champions. her father. everyone she had known— they were were gone, alongside the knight she had known. she was but a relic of a former era, alone in this new land she could barely recognize. 

taking a deep breath, zelda willed herself to meet his gaze once more. it wasn’t his fault. she knew better; he couldn’t force himself to remember.

she made an attempt at a nonchalant smile, hoping her sympathy for his circumstances would be enough to stifle the grief she held for their forgotten friendship. 

“that’s quite alright! it’s an expected reaction after being placed in the shrine of resurrection. i’m deeply sorry if i’ve upset you in any manner.” her tone of voice was strained, artificially cheerful. she was struggling to maintain her carefree composure.

she was growing desperate for an escape, this was too emotional for them both. she cleared her throat, before turning her head away. she had made a fool of herself, ruining their afternoon while simultaneously placing him in an uncomfortable position. due to her selfish tampering, the lovely afternoon was now gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> frankly, i wasn’t sure how to end this chapter. if you guys have any criticism/a compliment/a certain part you’d enjoyed/any questions, i’d love to hear!


End file.
